Ioannis Liogas

Remembering Ioannis Liogas 

Ioannis (John) Liogas passed away peacefully at his home on Tuesday, March 3, surrounded by his loving family. He was born on May 24, 1942. Ioannis’ journey began in Dorio, Greece and he later immigrated to Montreal, Canada, in 1961 where he met his wife, Katina.  Eventually, he made his way to Detroit, where he truly embodied the American dream. Through hard work and perseverance, he raised his family, owned and operated the Hellenic Bakery, and made lasting contributions to both his community and his church.  

Ioannis is survived by his devoted wife, Katina, and his daughters, Stavroula (Villy) and Sophia, along with their husbands, Ari and Panagiotis. He leaves behind four cherished grandchildren: Panos, Yianni, Dimitri, and Katerina. Ioannis’ memory will also be treasured by numerous nephews, nieces, and extended family members living in America, Canada, and Greece.  

Ioannis was preceded in death by his parents, Ioannis and Stavroula, as well as his siblings Vassili Liogas, Mary Metrusias, and Kostas Liogas. He is survived by his beloved sister, Athena Sousi (affectionately known as Nana), who resides in Athens. 

Ioannis Liogas will forever be in our hearts. He was a humble man who will be remembered for his incredible work ethic, generosity and love for his family and friends. 

Although he faced several health challenges in the last five years, he was tenacious and a fighter until the end! 

 More importantly, Yianni cherished his summer home in Methoni, Greece where he spent endless hours on his balcony saying hello to every neighbor who passed by, drinking his Greek coffee, playing cards with his grandkids, and sharing stolen figs with friends and neighbors.  

Ioannis never wanted to be the center of attention. He moved quietly but made huge impact on everyone’s life. No one will ever fill his shoes, but his legacy will continue to live on. 

Ioannis will be forever in our hearts. May God rest his beautiful soul and may his memory be eternal.  

Below is an excerpt from a biography written by one of Ioannis’ grandchildren, Yianni Papadakos, during his 8th grade year.  

My Hero  

My personal Michigan hero is my grandfather, Ioannis Liogas. He was born in a village called Dorio in Greece in 1942, during WWII. His father was killed when he was two and his mother had four other children. My grandfather was the youngest in his family and he grew up very poor. He had his first pair of shoes at age twelve. He graduated high school and immigrated to Montreal, Canada in 1961, before coming to Michigan.  

Working at the historic Queen Elizabeth hotel in Montreal, he learned French and worked many jobs to pay the bills. He always saved enough money to send back to his mother, who stayed in their village. Ioanni had a dream to move to America, and his older sister was already in Detroit. He eventually immigrated to Detroit, Michigan in 1971. Here, he learned English at night school and had various jobs including bartending, painting, and a factory job, making glass windshields. When the factory closed, he ended up working in a bakery, and he eventually became the owner in 1975 of the Hellenic Bakery. The special thing about the bakery is that it is a gathering place for the family and the Greek community. 

 I admire my grandfather for his strong work ethic. He is the hardest working man I know. As hard as his life has been, the last person you would hear complain, or say he is tired is Ioannis Liogas. Ioannis worked seven days a week for forty years and never took a vacation until the last few years of his career. It did not matter how much money he had or did not have, he always gave back to the community. Ioannis always gave to his church and was one of the founders of Nativity of the Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church, in Plymouth Michigan.  

Ioannis Liogas is a giving man who donated bread and other food from the bakery to anyone in need. Often, my mother would learn of his generosity, years later, when someone would say something about her dad, because he would never say anything when he helped someone. He employed poor immigrants, who also came to Michigan for jobs, and sometimes even drove them to work, if they did not have transportation. 

My grandfather surprises us to this day, when he speaks in Albanian, French, Spanish, English, or Greek. However, when you own a business and employ other new immigrants, the only way to communicate is to learn each other’s languages.  

Ioanni Liogas is my Michigan hero because he lived the true American dream here in Michigan. He loves this country and realizes the opportunities that moving to Michigan gave him. There are three things my grandfather thinks are important in this world: family, hard work and education. This is why Ioannis Liogas is my personal Michigan hero.”  

Visitation

Tuesday, March 10, 2026

 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM (Trisagion at 7:00 PM)  

Nativity of the Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church

39851 5 Mile Rd., Plymouth, MI 48170  

Funeral

Wednesday, March 11, 2026,

In-State: 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM    Mass 11:00 AM 

Nativity of the Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church

39851 5 Mile Rd., Plymouth, MI 48170  

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